We don’t have it too bad in Tokyo. If you walk or drive around the city on a sunny Sunday morning and the odds are on your side, you might be able to cross paths with something interesting: a sleek Jaguar E-Type, or a chic Mercedes-Benz 220SE, perhaps. If you’re really lucky, you might come across something even more impressive: a Ferrari F40 or a Lamborghini Miura. Yet on average, classic cars stretching their legs on the roads remain a rare sight, with many locked up in private car collections or quietly sleeping in museums. The rarer and the older the car, the less likely you are to see it casually stopped at a red light. There are, however, a few golden opportunities to see such cars in action.
This is what the Japan-based ultra-exclusive classic car event, the Tour d’Élégance, is all about. The invite-only touring event gathers Japan’s top classic car owners and collectors with one objective for the drivers: to enjoy your classic car in Japan’s finest locations. Already on its third edition, the Tour d’Élégance traveled from the heart of Tokyo all the way up to the mountains of Karuizawa (if this city sounds familiar to you, that’s because Bill Gates has a house there). Tasked with documenting the event, my partner Ayesh and I were given the keys to a Jaguar F-Pace SVR to drive alongside the rare, and for some never-seen-before classics that joined the rally.
The Bugatti Type 44 Corsica Is A One-Off Bugatti
Departing from Tokyo as a convoy is always a hectic experience. You’ll have a cab merging in front of you, a kei truck in a hurry sneaking in behind you, a traffic light quickly turning red, and before you even get to the highway, your convoy is already broken down into smaller groups. Luckily for me, I was able to keep close to the 1929 Bugatti Type 44 Corsica that had joined the rally. In a city as modern as Tokyo, the French century-old classic almost felt out of place. The blue open-top car was something you’d expect driving through a quaint French village, and looking at the car making its way through the city felt as if we had suddenly gone back in time.
Powered by a 3.0-liter inline-eight and producing 81 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque, this T44 was obviously slower than the more recent classics that had joined the event. However, it did keep a good pace and delivered a consistent 55 to 60 mph speed on highways. For a car that has lived through so much, it is its endurance that was perhaps most impressive to witness. Contrary to stereotypes of French cars breaking down, the Bugatti did not encounter any major issue throughout the journey, and only had a minor turn signal trouble, forcing the driver to use hand signals at each turns instead.
The Bugatti showed off its unique, sporty 2-door 4-seater body, with wide and elegant fenders. You might be curious about what a “Bugatti Corsica” is, and for good reasons as it isn’t a special edition Bugatti made for driving on the French Mediterranean island. Instead, “Corsica” stands for “Corsica Coachworks,” a now defunct British coachbuilder that created bespoke bodies for luxury automobiles in the 1920s. Corsica did not have in-house designers and bodies were created by closely working with each customer. Because of the bespoke nature of each creation, this meant that almost all of the Corsica models were one-offs, including the T44 Corsica that had joined this event. While this Bugatti’s body work remained faithful to the original T44, other Corsica models such as modified Bugatti T57 models showcased much bolder designs, with curvier and more daring shapes overall.
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The 1-Of-2 In The World Mercedes-Benz 190 SLR Is No Urban Legend
Perhaps the most memorable car that joined the Tour d’Élégance –and my personal favorite from this event– was the 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190 SLR. Not just any 190 SL, but the “190 SLR.” The 190 SLR looks just like its SL counterpart: the same round headlights, sharp fender flares, round and elongated rear silhouette. The SLR, however, looks much sportier with headlight mesh guards, roll bar headrests, and most notably the complete absence of a roof. It’s an unusual sight to say the least.
While we are all familiar with the charming and more affordable alternative to the exotic 300 SL, there isn’t much information out there regarding its SLR counterpart. This topic seems so obscure that the best you can find is bits of information from rare appearances of 190 SLR models at auctions. The thing is, 190 SLR models sold by Sotheby’s at the 2022 and 2023 Monterey auctions were both replicas, or “conversions” to be more specific. Upgrades from SL to SLR can officially be done by Mercedes-Benz, which was the case for the model sold in 2023, officially converted by the manufacturer in 2007. Yet, you likely won’t find a single original, straight-out-the-factory 190 SLR out there. That is, except for the one that joined the Tour d’Élégance.
The 1955 24 Hours Of Le Mans tragedy saw the death of 84 people and over 120 injured, when a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR violently collided with a Jaguar D-Type. Following the horrific accident, Mercedes-Benz retired altogether from the Le Mans racing series that year. Mercedes-Benz also launched the 190 SL model in 1955, but as a result of the Le Mans incident, the 190 SLR model would never see the light of day. Or almost, as two original 190 SLR models still made it out of the factory at that time, the Japanese owner of the 190 SLR said. One resides at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, and the other one was being driven right in front of me.
The beauty of it all was that, instead of keeping this second original model preciously locked-up in a climate-controlled garage, the owner would drive it every now and then when joining classic car rallies. With a humble and discreet Japanese owner, it is no surprise that the Western corner of the world wide web knows so little about the 190 SLR. Except for you and I.
The Lamborghini Jarama S Is A Rare Raging Bulle
Another gem joining the rally was the 1970 Lamborghini Jarama S. While it lacks the fame and prestige of a Countach or a Miura, the Jarama is one of the rarer Lamborghini models with 328 units ever produced. Out of this number, 152 units were Jarama S models.
The Italian grand tourer offers a 2-door, 2+2 seating configuration and has been known as one of Ferruccio Lamborghini’s favorite cars. Inspired by its predecessor the Islero, the Jarama’s design is an eye-catching one with a unique headlight design. As a luxury tourer, the Jarama distances itself from the more flamboyant and sportier Lamborghini models yet just like other raging bulls, the Jarama proudly sports a V12 engine underneath its hood.
Throughout the journey, the Jarama was an interesting car to see on the roads. Between its powerful capabilities and its luxury touring nature, the Jarama appeared to lean more towards the civilized and refined side of its personality. From Tokyo to Karuizawa, it was the kind of car that was so discreet you’d almost forget its whereabouts. It would arrive at each destination relaxed and composed with the slower crowd, yet with that same powerful aura all Lamborghinis have. The Jarama looks just as Lamborghini had intended it to be: a gentleman’s car mixing elegance and power.
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The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 On Japanese Roads
Contrasting with the more imposing Lamborghini grand tourer, stood a lightweight and air-cooled Porsche icon: a 1973 Porsche Carrera RS 2.7. Fetching anything between $1 to $2 million at auctions, the Carrera RS 2.7 is known for its ducktail silhouette and for being the fastest German production car of its time. Porsche initially aimed to produce 500 units as a homologation special, yet high demand led to a total production of 1,580 units. Upon reaching 1,000 units, the Carrera RS 2.7 was homologated for both Group 3 and Group 4 racing categories.
The RS 2.7 also introduced Porsche’s latest invention: the ducktail. The ducktail helped produce more downforce while reducing drag, and helped improve engine cooling, with the flat-six being positioned behind the rear axle. The road-approved vehicle became the ultimate machine for customers wanting to compete in track events.
As a track weapon, it is difficult to judge a Carrera RS 2.7 simply by how it performs on city roads and highways but the RS 2.7 was naturally one of the faster cars from this event. Often arriving at each location earlier than other participants, the orange Porsche demonstrated its effortless endurance and athletic performance throughout the race. The owner would slow down in more scenic parts of the road, and would easily overtake cars on the road whenever the road got a little dull. The refreshing orange paint complemented the car’s dynamic personality.
With its million-dollar price tag, the RS 2.7 is precisely what I would picture a garage queen to be: carefully taken care of, never driven and auction-ready to become the next collector’s priced item. Intended to be a race-car for the road, seeing the RS 2.7 stretch its legs on highways and city roads was a beautiful sight to see.
The Jaguar E-Type To The F-Pace SVR Is An Incredibly Underrated Performance SUV
So what about the Jaguar F-Pace SVR in all this? The SVR, which is a car I am already well acquainted with, helped me chase these classic cars from Tokyo to Karuizawa. Just like any performance SUV, you get a good blend of everything: plenty of space to store luggage and photography equipment, a comfortable interior with sporty front seats to keep you in place around corners, and a good amount of power to have some fun on scenic mountain roads.
The SVR sports Jaguar’s supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine, which is what makes the British SUV shine. While there are still plenty of V8 SUVs out there, supercharged ones are a rarer breed. Not only did I have 550 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque at my disposal, power delivery felt instant thanks to the Jag’s supercharger. The SVR also had a low center of gravity, which helped it stay planted to the road. The best part about the SVR was its loud and addictive, muscle car-like signature sound that would echo through tunnels and let all drivers know it was approaching.
Though the Jag guzzled premium fuel throughout the journey, there wasn’t much else to complain about. The SVR offered a premium sound system to enjoy some music along the way, and its stylish, minimalistic infotainment system present in all Jaguar-Land Rover vehicles was particularly enjoyable to use.
Practical yet incredibly fun, the SVR is a powerful and versatile SUV. Endorsing various roles ranging from grand tourer, to camera car, to stylish SUV, the Jaguar F-Pace SVR turned out to be the perfect companion for this journey alongside these priceless classic cars.
Pictures have been edited to respect owners’ privacy.
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